The Greatest Gift of All
by Tungscrus
Summary: While celebrating her 25th birthday with Jennifer, Balki, and Larry, Mary Anne tells the story of how she and Jennifer first met.
1. Chapter 1

This Perfect Strangers Fan Fiction involves flashbacks. The flashback text will be placed in indented text in italics and in the third person. The regular text (which will take place in 1989) will be placed in normal text.

By Michael Hambrook.

Summary: On Mary Anne's 25th birthday, she and Jennifer tell the story of how they first met.

Chapter 1 – Mary Anne's story

It happened one winter's evening on December 2, 1989. Larry and Balki were dressed in their formal wear because Jennifer and Mary Anne have asked them out to celebrate Mary Anne's 25th birthday.

Larry walked out in his suit and asked Balki, "Well, Balki. How do I look?"

Balki said, "with your eyes, Cousin." He laughed silently and said, "Where do I come up with them?"

"I hope I look fine," Larry said, "I want Jennifer to think I look fine."

"What do you think of my gift for Mary Anne's 25th birthday, Cousin?"

Larry looked over to see Balki holding a bouquet of roses.

"Nice, Balki," Larry said, nervously, "Roses are good for your girlfriend's birthday. I hope you watered them."

"Well of course I did, don't be ridiculous."

"That's good, because we don't want them to wilt."

"Cousin, I am from Mypos," Balki said, "I know everything about plants and flowers. They are so pretty on Mypos. They are so nice, that they are planted in the ground and fertilized with Ba-Ba-Sticki before they are harvested. What did you get Mary Anne?"

Larry held up a vase wrapped in white paper. The vase was fat on the bottom and thin on the top. "This," he said.

Balki said, "You got her a Myposian fly squasher?"

"This is a vase. You are giving her flowers and I am giving her a vase."

Balki asked, "You don't suppose Mary Anne will think it is a Myposian fly squasher, do you?"

"I don't think so," said Larry, "Mary Anne has never been to Mypos, so she wouldn't think that."

"Well how come it is wrapped like that?" Balki asked, "Don't you have a box for it?"

Larry looked at his cousin in dismay.

"Balki, you don't know how to wrap gifts in America, do you?" he said, "You never wrap a vase in a box. You take the paper, put the vase on its side, and roll the paper on. Girls always love it when someone wraps gifts without boxes. Girls don't like opening boxes that are stuck together with tape and ribbon."

"I still think you should use a box."

"Really?" chimed Larry, "Tell me, Balki, how many vases have you wrapped in your lifetime?"

"Well..." said Balki

Larry continued, "How many? How many? How many vases have you wrapped in your lifetime?"

"None," Balki said, sheepishly.

"None, as in zero, as in no vases have you wrapped in your lifetime?"

"No."

"I wrapped this vase the traditional American way. Nobody in America wraps a vase in a box."

Larry fidgeted nervously and it was noticed by Balki.

"Why are you so nervous, Cousin?" asked Balki.

"I feel nervous because Jennifer has invited us out. In America, the guy always asks the girl out, it is never the girl who asks the guy."

"Well there must be another reason, other than Mary Anne's birthday."

"We will just have to see."

Meanwhile, in Jennifer and Mary Anne's apartment, Mary Anne was looking out the window at the snowstorm. She was dressed in a fine beige dress with purple cuffs. Jennifer, who was wearing a purple dress, was putting a box wrapped in white paper on the table in the back.

"Gee, Jennifer," Mary Anne said, rather sadly, "The weather doesn't look good this evening. Perhaps we shouldn't take the guys out."

Jennifer came over to the window. "Perhaps you are right, Mary Anne," she said, "I will call Larry and tell him they can come up here, instead."

Jennifer walked over to the phone, picked it up and called Larry.

"Hello, Larry. It's Jennifer. I have to change location plans this evening. The weather is too stormy, so you and Balki can come up here, instead."

"Okay, see you in a few," Larry said and he hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" asked Balki.

"It was Jennifer. It is storming too hard out, so we are going up to their apartment instead." Larry's expression changed to excitement. "This is great, Balki! We will be up in Jennifer and Mary Anne's apartment with them. We'll dim the lights, we'll put on slow records or tapes and we will dance."

"Cousin, get your head out of the Ba-Ba-Sticki" barked Balki, "We are going up for Mary Anne's birthday party."

Larry said in a suave voice, "I know that. I'm talking about later on."

Balki ignored what his cousin just said and remarked, "Come on, Cousin. We don't want to be late." He picked up the birthday cake. It had a number 25 on it for Mary Anne's 25th birthday. The cake was also covered in white frosting, and it had a plastic cover over it. The guys went up to Jennifer and Mary Anne's apartment and rang the bell. Larry stood there with a smile on his face, holding the vase in one hand. Balki stood there with the cake and the roses covered up.

"Hi ladies," Larry said, "Happy Birthday, Mary Anne."

Mary Anne kissed Larry on the cheek and said, "Thanks, Larry."

"Happy birthday, Mary Anne!" said Balki with glee.

"Thanks, Balki," she said, with equal glee, "It will be a happier one, now that you 're here."

Mary Anne walked over to Balki and put her arms out to hug him. Balki put the cake in Larry's right hand so he could hug Mary Anne and Larry nearly fell under the weight of the cake, nearly dropping the vase.

Larry yelled, "Balki! Balki!"

Jennifer knew that Larry got Mary Anne a vase and quickly took it out of his hands. She placed it on the coffee table. Larry thanked her.

Jennifer said, "Larry, why didn't you put this in a box? It wouldn't break if you put it in a box."

"I will remember that next time," said Larry

Twenty minutes passed. After eating, Jennifer got out the cake and they all got a glass of wine. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to Mary Anne, who grinned and clapped her hands upon conclusion of the song. Mary Anne opened her gifts, starting with Larry's.

"Oh, Larry. I always wanted a Myposian fly squasher. I didn't know you could buy them in America."

"Just open it, Mary Anne," Larry said, impatiently.

Mary Anne opened her gift and saw that it was a vase.

Mary Anne said excitedly, "It's a Myposian fly squasher made of glass."

"Mary Anne, it's a vase," said Jennifer.

"Oh, right!" chimed Mary Anne, "It would be nice to have some flowers for it."

"Here you go," said Balki, presenting her with a bouquet of roses.

"Balki, you gave me roses," Mary Anne said with glee, "I love roses. They are so beautiful."

"But not as beautiful as you are, Mary Anne," Balki said, warranting him a kiss from Mary Anne. She bent him over and gave him a big kiss.

"Wwwwwoowww!" exclaimed Balki.

Mary Anne put the roses in the vase and looked at Jennifer, who got up and got her gift from the back table.

Jennifer said, "Before I give Mary Anne her gift, I want to announce the special reason, aside from her 25th birthday, that I invited you two here, Larry and Balki. It was on this date 17 years ago that Mary Anne and I met for the first time. What I have in this box is symbolic of that date. Happy birthday, Mary Anne."

Mary Anne opened the gift. "Oh, Jennifer!" she said, "Roller skates that are too small for me. I don't know what to do with them."

"Don't you remember, Mary Anne?" said Jennifer, "These were the first present I ever gave you when we met on your 8th birthday. They meant so much to you, so I decided to give them to you on your milestone birthday. I can't believe it was that long ago – 17 years."

"Where did you find them?" asked Mary Anne.

Jennifer said, "When my grandmother Gladys Campbell died two months ago, I went to Springfield with my mother to settle her affairs. We found them in Grandma's attic."

"Wow!" said Mary Anne, "I haven't seen these in years. I never thought I would ever see them again." Mary Anne stuck her hand in the right skate and pulled out a piece of paper and read it. It said "Jennifer and Mary Anne: Best Friends Forever". She put her hand in the left skate and the lace for it is still inside. The letters "MAPS" written on the side of both skates. Mary Anne explained that MAPS were her initials – Mary Anne Penelope Spencer (at which Balki and Larry looked at each other and simultaneously mouthed the word "Penelope") and that Jennifer's initials were JEL for Jennifer Elizabeth Lyons.

"How did the two of you meet?" asked Balki.

Mary Anne started the story. "It was a stormy day, much like this one..."

_The story of Jennifer and Mary Anne started like this: Mary Anne Spencer was born on the 2__nd__ of December, 1964. She was an only child and in the summer of 1968, when she was 3½, Mary Anne's father Max went on a fishing trip. He went out too far in the boat and it capsized. Max Spencer did not survive._

_On the date of Mary Anne's eighth birthday, December 2, 1972, it had been four-and-a-half years since her father died and Mary Anne was still shaken up about it. Her mother, Helen Spencer, was an only child, herself, and Mary Anne's father had one sister, whom Helen despised and didn't want to have anything to do with. Helen tried her best to raise Mary Anne on her own, while trying to pursue a career as a photographer. But after four-and-a-half years, Mary Anne was much too shy to have friends or to even bother with people._

_Mary Anne's favourite singer was Paul Williams. On her eighth birthday, to cheer her up, Helen bought her daughter an 8-track tape of Paul Williams and she played it on the radio for her. Mary Anne's favourite song by Paul Williams was "Old Fashioned Love Song", which didn't even cheer her up. Mary Anne sadly looked out the window at the snowstorm._

"_Come on, Mary Anne," her mother said, "You are now 8 years old. Cheer up. It's your birthday."_

"_I am not going to have much of a party, Mommy," said Mary Anne, sadly. "Nobody is coming because it's storming too hard. Besides that, I am much too shy to have friends."_

"_Well you have to overcome this shyness of yours," said her mother, "You are not doing well in school because of it. You need to learn how to open out to people, and share things with them. At least give me a smile. I want to take your picture."_

_Mary Anne smiled for about 10 seconds while her mother took her picture. _

_After Helen Spencer took Mary Anne's picture, Mary Anne continued to look out her window at the heavy snow falling in the yard. She happened to look next door where a new family had moved in a few days earlier. Outside in the driveway, a little girl and her brother were shovelling snow with their father. The little girl looked in the window and saw how glum and sad Mary Anne looked. After she was done shovelling her end of the driveway, she went into her house and got a box of something, wrapped it, and went over to the Spencer house with her mother. The little girl knocked on the door, and Helen answered it._

"_Hello," said Helen, "Who have we here?"_

_The girl said, "My name is Jennifer Lyons and this is my mother Catherine. We just moved next door. I saw a sad little girl in the window and I brought something over to cheer her up."_

"_That's very nice of you," said Helen, "Come on in. Her name is Mary Anne and she is in the living room. Today is also her birthday, so you can make that her birthday present, too."_

_While Helen Spencer and Catherine Lyons went into the kitchen for a coffee, Jennifer went in to see Mary Anne._

"_Mary Anne?" said Jennifer._

"_What?" Mary Anne said, "What do you want?"_

"_My name is Jennifer and I have a present for you. Your mother told me your name and that is how I knew."_

_Jennifer gave the gift to Mary Anne, who reluctantly accepted it._

"_Go on, open it," said Jennifer._

_Mary Anne opened the gift and to her surprise, it was a pair of girl's roller skates._

"_Happy Birthday, Mary Anne," said Jennifer._

"_Wow!" said Mary Anne in excitement, "Roller skates! I always wanted a pair of roller skates! But how did you know it was my birthday?"_

"_Your mother told me," Jennifer said._

"_Oh, right!" chimed Mary Anne._

_Jennifer had a smile on her face._

"_Thank you, Jennifer," Mary Anne said, "You're a good person. If you want, we can be friends."_

"_That would be nice," Jennifer said, "I would love to, Mary Anne. But remember, don't use the roller skates outside until the spring._

"_Why not?" said Mary Anne._

"_Because it is snowing out," Jennifer said._

"_Oh, right!" chimed Mary Anne._

_While the girls were in the living room, their mothers were in the kitchen drinking coffee. Helen looked in the living room to see the girls playing. Catherine's back was turned to the fact that Mary Anne was putting on the roller skates._

"_I am glad to see that your daughter is having fun with my daughter," said Helen, "Mary Anne has never taken to anyone like this before. She has been too shy and too despondent since my husband drowned. She is still trying to get over it. It has been 4½ years."_

"_I guess all a person really needs is someone their own age they can share something with," said Catherine, "My father is a psychologist. I learned a lot of this stuff from him. The problem I am having with Jennifer is that she was getting into fights at school and with my husband's new job I thought we could move somewhere and I could have Jennifer meet someone new. Perhaps that would help straighten her out."_

_Mary Anne came roller-skating out into the kitchen to show her mother her present. Jennifer followed behind._

"_Look at the roller skates Jennifer gave me, Mommy!" she said, "Aren't they nice?"_

"_They sure are," said Helen._

"_Wait a minute, Jennifer," said Catherine, "Weren't those the roller skates you got for your last birthday three months ago?"_

"_Yes," said Jennifer, "But I figured that Mary Anne could use them. She looked lonely, so I decided to give her something of mine."_

_Catherine had a stern look on her face, but knowing that it would be wrong to deprive an 8-year-old of her new present from someone she just met and how good they were getting along, she patted Jennifer on the head._

"_I am sure she deserves them," she said, "At least I know you are willing to give up one of your favourite toys for a friend."_

"_You mean these were your favourite toy and you gave them to me?" Mary Anne asked._

"_Yes," said Jennifer, "Do you like them?"_

_Mary Anne was overjoyed. "I love them," she said, "You can now be my best friend, because you are so nice to me."_

"_I think I would like to be your best friend," said Jennifer._

_Both girls hugged each other and went down to Mary Anne's room to play. After a few hours, Catherine and Jennifer went home. Mary Anne said, "Come play with me again, Jennifer."_

"_Certainly," Jennifer said, "We are best friends, aren't we?"_

"_Oh right!" Mary Anne said, smiling._

_Jennifer and Mary Anne continued their friendship. When Christmas came, they even exchanged gifts. Jennifer had gotten a new pair of roller skates from her mother. When April came, both girls were in Jennifer's yard, using their roller skates._

"_How do they work, Mary Anne?" asked Jennifer_

"_Just great," said Mary Anne, "I love them." _

_Skating toward Jennifer, Mary Anne began to slip, but Jennifer caught her._

_Jennifer said, "This will be great. We are in third grade now, and we will both be going into fourth grade in the fall."_

_Mary Anne said, "You want to know what I'm going to be when I grow up? I'm going to be one of those roller-skating waitresses who roller skates to a person's car and delivers food to them on a tray."_

"_Sounds like a great dream," said Jennifer._

"_Yes it is," said Mary Anne, "I believe everyone should have food. I hope that in the future there is no starvation in the world, and that all people have food."_

_Jennifer said, "Perhaps you can one day make it come true. I am going to be a pilot and fly around the world."_

"_That would be fun," said Mary Anne. She placed her arms out pretending she was an airplane. "Here comes the Spencer Express, coming in for a landing!"_

_Jennifer did the same._

"_Oh no!" she said, playfully, "it's about to hit the Air Lyons!"_

_Both girls tag each other and laugh._

"_So, Jennifer," said Mary Anne, "Tell me a bit more about yourself and your farm in Iowa."_

_Jennifer said, "My parents decided to sell it about two months ago. We headed east and stayed at my grandparents' house in Springfield for a while, and then my father got a posting to Chicago, and here we are."_

"_You're lucky," said Mary Anne, "I was born in Chicago. I haven't travelled anywhere special."_

"_You know, Mary Anne," said Jennifer, "this is the most fun I have had in a while. I am so glad that you are my best friend."_

"_So am I," said Mary Anne._

_Mary Anne eventually outgrew her roller skates, but since they were a gift from Jennifer, she decided when she was 10 to write on a piece of paper, "Jennifer and Mary Anne: Best Friends Forever". She then placed the note in the right roller skate and placed the box of skates in her closet. Two years past and the girls got to know each other and their families well. Even Helen and Catherine got to know each other well and became as good friends with each other as Mary Anne and Jennifer did. Jennifer's brother Phillip was at once smitten with Mary Anne, but knowing his attitude and reputation as a prankster, she told him to back off and he did. From that moment on, he saw her as nothing more than a younger sister. Phillip was a prankster, but when needed, he was always there for his family and friends._

_In the summer of 1977, both girls were 12, almost 13. At the roller skating park, both were there enjoying themselves, both still pondering their futures._

"_Can I tell you a secret, Jennifer?" asked Mary Anne._

"_Sure," said Jennifer._

"_I have another dream," said Mary Anne, "but this is a rather weird one. I keep having a recurring dream that I am on a mysterious island in the Mediterranean and I meet up with a foreign sheep herder with the initials B. B. He wants to take me as his bride and show me what his life is like. I suppose, being a city girl all my life, I know that I cannot resist dreaming about the outside of the city."_

"_That's amazing," said Jennifer. Do you think you will ever meet him?"_

"_Who knows," said Mary Anne, "the fact is that he lives on an island and I would have to take a boat to get there. I don't even know how to swim because I am afraid of the water. I black out in deep water after I am in it for about 30 seconds. I don't even like small boats or rafts."_

_Just about a half hour later, Jennifer was confronted by a young boy named Clifford Jenkins who wanted to pick a fight with her._

"_Hey there, Jennifer Lyons," Clifford said, rather snidely, "Are you ready to fight with me today?"_

"_Buzz off, Clifford," Jennifer said._

"_Come on!" chimed Clifford, "You know you want to fight me!"_

_Mary Anne stepped between Jennifer and Clifford, "Leave my friend alone or I will break your face off and use it as a roller-skating mask for my face."_

"_It will sure be an improvement over the way you look right now!" laughed Clifford._

_Mary Anne put her fingers up to Clifford's cheeks and squeezed them against his teeth._

"_Are you going to leave my friend alone," she said through her teeth, "or do you want all your friends to know you were beaten up by a girl?"_

"_I'll leave her alone," said Clifford, through his lips._

"_Very good," said Mary Anne, as she let go of Clifford's face. "Now are you going to run off and leave us alone?"_

_Clifford started to run in fear. "I'm running, I'm running! That girl is dangerous. She means it!"_

_Jennifer smiled at Mary Anne. "Thanks," she said, "That guy was bothering me for six months, ever since I moved here."_

"_That's what best friends are for," said Mary Anne, "to help each other out."_

_About fifteen minutes later, Helen Spencer, Mary Anne's mother, came driving up to the roller-skating park. She got out of the car with two chest pads and knee pads. Both sets of clothing had the girls' initials on them._

"_Hi, girls," Helen said to them._

_Mary Anne said, "Hi, Mother. Are you done work?"_

_Mrs. Spencer said, "Yes. I bought you some monogrammed chest pads and knee pads to go with your monogrammed skates."_

"_That's great, Mrs. Spencer," said Jennifer, "These will look nice on us." _

"_I also brought my camera by," said Helen, "because I wanted to finish off the film in it. I have two shots left."_

"_Great," said Mary Anne, "we can put on our chest pads and you can take a picture of us in our roller skates."_

_Mrs. Spencer said, "Okay, I will take two pictures, one for each of you."_

_Jennifer said, "Yes, then we can put 'Best Friends Forever' on the back of it."_

_The girls smiled with their arms around each other while Helen shot one picture each for the two of them, thus finishing off her film._

"_There," said Helen, "I have to go take these pictures to get developed and then I will meet you at home, Mary Anne. Are you cooking supper this evening?"_

"_Yes, Mother," said Mary Anne, "How does Chinese food sound?"_

"_Great," Helen said._

_Helen left and after about a half hour, the girls packed up their stuff and left. Shortly afterward, they heard a screeching of tires on the road not far from them._

_Jennifer asked, "What do you suppose that was?"_

"_I don't know," Mary Anne replied, "Let's go see."_

_The girls walked up to a car and Mary Anne sadly noticed that it was her mother's car. The car was upside down in a ditch and severely damaged. Helen had been in a fatal accident on the way home from getting her photos developed. The policeman on the scene had the envelope with the pictures in it. _

"_Oh, no!" Mary Anne cried, "My mother! What happened to my mother?!"_

_Mary Anne walked up to the policeman._

"_What happened, Officer?" she asked._

"_I'm afraid your mother has been in a fatal car accident, little girl. She swerved to avoid an animal and lost control of the car, flipping it into the ditch. She died instantly." _

_The cop handed Mary Anne the envelope of pictures, at the front of which were the two taken of the girls just hours ago in their roller skates and chest pads. Without even taking the envelope, Mary Anne ran off and headed toward her house crying and sobbing in grief. The policeman gave Jennifer the envelope of pictures. Jennifer looked at the pictures and realized what they were. She took one of the two pictures as her own and kept the other one in the envelope to give to Mary Anne._

_Jennifer said to herself, "I wonder if I should take these to Mary Anne right away."_

_Immediately, Jennifer ran to Mary Anne's house and noticed Mary Anne sitting on the driveway with a mad look on her face smashing her roller-skates into the ground._

"_What are you doing, Mary Anne?" asked Jennifer._

"_I am wrecking my roller skates," Mary Anne retorted, "I never want to see them again! These are the gift that my mother gave me after I outgrew my other ones. They remind me too much of my mother, and now that she is dead, I am wrecking them and giving up roller skating."_

_Jennifer was shocked, for she knew that Mary Anne's biggest hobby was roller skating._

"_But Mary Anne!" Jennifer said, "You love roller skating."_

"_Forget it, Jennifer," Mary Anne said, "I am giving up roller skating and running away from home. I have nothing to live for now. I don't need friends, I don't need family and I don't need anyone!"_

"_You can't just run away," cried Jennifer, "What about our friendship?"_

_Mary Anne barked, "Well I am just too angry right now for a friendship."_

"_Is there anything I can do for you, Mary Anne?" asked Jennifer_

"_Yes," said Mary Anne, harshly, "Go away! I want to be left alone! I never want to see you or anyone else again, ever!"_

"_But, Mary Anne!" said Jennifer, nearly crying, "You can't give up on your roller skating and I don't want to lose you as a best friend!" _

_Mary Anne walked into the house, got the box with her roller skates from Jennifer, went back out and shoved them at Jennifer._

"_You don't think I can give up on my roller skating, Jennifer!" she cried, "Here! This will show you I have given up on it. I never want to see these again!" Mary Anne noticed the envelope of pictures that Jennifer was holding, and took the other picture of them in their roller skates out of the envelope and ripped it to shreds. "I also never want to see you or this picture again!"_

_Jennifer started to cry._

"_Mary Anne," she said, "You are my best friend, remember?"_

"_Leave me alone, Jennifer!" barked Mary Anne. "I don't have time for a best friend!" Mary Anne ran into the house, locked the door behind her, ran to her room and started to cry. Jennifer stood there holding the box and the picture and quietly walked home._

As the story returned to the present day 1989, Mary Anne sat there starting to cry, with Jennifer, Balki, and Larry looking at her. She got up from the table, ran to the washroom and started to cry bitterly.

"What's wrong with Mary Anne?" asked Balki.

"She always gets like this when she talks about her mother," Jennifer replied, "I'll go help her out."

Jennifer got up and walked into the bathroom. Just then, the power went out inside the apartment. Larry and Balki stayed sitting at the table.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Greatest Gift of All

Chapter 2

Jennifer's story

After Jennifer and Mary Anne returned to the tables, both brought candles with them to light up after the power failure. They lit them up on the table. Balki and Larry, anxious to hear the rest of their story, kindly asked, "So then what happened next?"

Jennifer looked at Mary Anne, who was still sobbing. She thought it was time for her to take over the story from where Mary Anne left off. Mary Anne knew that was what Jennifer meant when Jennifer tapped her on the arm, just before Mary Anne began to speak.

"Jennifer will tell the rest of it, if that is fine," Mary Anne said.

"That's fine," said Larry, "how does the rest of the story go?"

Jennifer swallowed and then continued the story. "The day after, Mary Anne was still depressed..."

_At the funeral home, Jennifer stood off to the side, as Mary Anne stood, in tears, next to the casket. Jennifer went over to where her parents Catherine and Frank and her brother Phillip were standing. All looked glum._

"_I wish I could go over and pay my respects to Mary Anne," she said to her mother._

"_I don't see why you can't," said Catherine, "She is your best friend."_

"_Well, when I talked to her yesterday, she told me that she didn't want me as her best friend anymore and that she was running away."_

"_Running away?" said Frank._

"_Yes," said Jennifer, "I don't know what else to tell her. We may be the closest thing to family she has."_

"_Does Mary Anne not have any other close relatives?" asked Frank._

"_As far as I know, the only relative she has is her father's sister, who she was told by her mother to stay away from, because she was abusive."_

"_This is a big dilemma, isn't it?" said Catherine._

"_Here is an idea," said Phillip, "What if we asked Mary Anne to come and live with us? We'll move the house around. Jennifer and Mary Anne can take my room and I will take Jennifer's room. Now that I am 18, I will be going off to college, soon, and I won't need a big room."_

"_That sounds great!" said Jennifer._

"_Well it has to be her decision," said Catherine, "We can't force it on her."_

_A day later, on a rainy day, Helen Spencer was laid to rest. Jennifer and her family stayed a distance from Mary Anne until the funeral was over and the casket was buried._

"_Jennifer and I will go talk to Mary Anne," said Catherine, "We will meet you two back at the house."_

"_Okay," said Phillip, "Come on, Dad." Phillip and Frank left._

_Jennifer went over to talk to Mary Anne first._

"_Hi, Mary Anne," she said._

_Mary Anne was silent, not looking at Jennifer._

_Jennifer said "hi" again. This time Mary Anne looked at Jennifer with a combination of sadness and anger._

"_Go away!" Mary Anne yelled._

_Jennifer said, "I want to help."_

"_I said 'go away'!" Mary Anne barked, "I never want to see you or anyone else again!"_

_Jennifer slowly backed away and her mother came over to talk to Mary Anne._

"_Mary Anne," said Catherine, who put her hand on Mary Anne's shoulder, "Jennifer wanted to tell you something, but I will tell you instead. You listen to me, please."_

_Mary Anne looked away from Catherine, but didn't run._

"_Ok," Catherine began, "You don't need to run away. You can come live with us if you want to. We all want you to because you are Jennifer's best friend and I don't want to see you two separated, either. Your mother and I always agreed that your friendship was very important to us as well as it was to you. She always told me that Jennifer's friendship is what cured you of your shyness."_

_Mary Anne started sobbing as Catherine handed her a tissue. "She did?" said Mary Anne._

"_Yes," said Catherine, "Now you can come to live with us if you want to, then you don't have to run away."_

_Mary Anne was overjoyed, but was still sobbing. She was glad that the Lyons family thought enough of her to not let her have to run away. The only problem was that Mary Anne had already told Jennifer to leave her alone and she never wanted to see her again. She just hoped that Jennifer could forgive her._

"_I would like that, Mrs. Lyons," said Mary Anne, smiling again, "I don't know what to do, though, about the grief for my mother."_

"_It just so happens that my father is a retired psychologist, so he can help you out if you want him to. He can tell you what to do to get over your grief."_

_Mary Anne hugged Catherine, as if she were her own mother._

"_Oh, Mrs. Lyons," she said, "You are so good to me. I hope I didn't offend Jennifer. I was just mad and I didn't want to see anybody. I hope she can forgive me."_

"_I'm sure she will," said Catherine, "and you can call me Catherine." _

_Jennifer came over, nearly in tears. _

"_I forgive you, Mary Anne," she said, and started to cry._

_Mary Anne also cried again. "I am sorry for what I said to you a few days ago, Jennifer," she said, "and for what I said earlier. I was just upset. I never want you to go and leave me. I will take you up on your offer and move in with you and your family so I will always have people to be with."_

"_Don't worry it," Jennifer said, "I know you were upset over your mother's death. I probably would have said the same thing."_

_Mary Anne hugged Catherine and Jennifer simultaneously._

"_Thank you, Catherine! Thank you, Jennifer," she said, "You are so good to me."_

_The following weekend, the family took a trip to see Jennifer's grandfather Ivan Campbell (the psychologist) in Springfield, the capital of Illinois. While Mary Anne was talking to him, Jennifer quietly crept up to the attic and put the box of roller skates there, but Jennifer hid her picture of them in their skates in her own room. Since she knew they were symbolic of their friendship, and Mary Anne was going to stay with them, she figured it would not be necessary, anymore, to keep the roller skates in her house. Jennifer's grandmother, Gladys, showed Mary Anne around and Mary Anne felt like she belonged. Jennifer helped Mary Anne fix her roller skates that she had broken. When they drove back, she noticed Mary Anne writing something down._

_Jennifer asked her, "What are you doing, Mary Anne?"_

_Mary Anne answered, "Your grandfather told me that if someone you love dies, you can write a letter to them telling them how you feel. It helps you cope with your loss. I am writing to my mother."_

"_That's good," Jennifer said, "I am glad he was able to help you. He is a really good man. Grandma is great, too, isn't she?"_

"_Jennifer, your whole family is so nice," Mary Anne said, pleasingly, "They really know how to help people cope with their problems." _

_Jennifer smiled and said "That's what they can do when you live in a place with psychologists."_

_Mary Anne and Jennifer got along so well that Jennifer invited her to family events, reunions, and everything else. Even in school, the two girls were inseparable. Jennifer did well in school, while Mary Anne just did average. With Jennifer's help, Mary Anne was able to pass English, Math, and Science, while Mary Anne helped Jennifer pass Home Economics, Geography, and History._

_Jennifer was into sports, while Mary Anne stayed completely out of sports and focused on cooking and sewing. She enjoyed that, but it got to the point where people in Home Economics class were asking Mary Anne to do all their work for them. Jennifer had seen this and told Mary Anne what they were doing. Mary Anne finally told the others to do their own work, but if they needed any help, she would be willing to help them._

_All through high school, Jennifer became more to Mary Anne than just a best friend. She was like a sister, a mentor, and a confidante, all rolled into one. Jennifer always defended Mary Anne and vowed to stop at nothing to help her friend if she was in danger, no matter how risky the situation. In 1981, Jennifer's grandfather Ivan died, and Mary Anne never forgot what she learned from him._

_Then, in 1982 at age 17 (almost 18)__, Jennifer and Mary Anne were ready to graduate from Vanderbilt High School. _

_The Principal announced the names:_

"_Jennifer Elizabeth Lyons" – Jennifer got her diploma._

"_Mary Anne Penelope Spencer" – Mary Anne got her diploma._

_Both girls met after the graduation ceremony had finished. Both were dressed in their graduation cap and gown, blue in colour._

"_Now what do we do?" Mary Anne asked._

"_Well we could see what we can find for work," said Jennifer._

_Mary Anne asked, "Are you still following your dream to become a pilot?"_

_Jennifer said, "I don't think so. You and I have been together for so long and through so much together, I can't stand to see us separated and going to separate colleges. What about you?"_

"_I don't think I will follow my dream of being a roller-skating waitress," said Mary Anne, "There seems to be no call for it anymore, now that everyone is talking about these drive-thru restaurants"_

_Jennifer smiled with delight. "How about that?" she said, "We both gave up our own dreams for the sake of our friendship. I can't see anything nobler than that. Let's promise to always be together, no matter what."_

_The next day, both girls walked down the street for a ways. They came across a young boy in the park, trying to spray paint a dog._

"_Hey," called Mary Anne, "What do you think you are doing?"_

_The boy smiled innocently. "I was just showing the dog my new can of spray paint," he admitted._

"_No you weren't," barked Mary Anne, "I saw you trying to spray paint that dog. You give me that can of spray paint, right now, or I will spray paint you!"_

_The boy pointed the can of spray paint at Mary Anne and Jennifer._

"_Stand back," he said, "Or I will spray paint the dog."_

"_You leave that poor dog alone," said Mary Anne, holding the boy's arm behind him. She looked at Jennifer. "Call the police, Jennifer," she said._

"_No!" pleaded the boy, "I will stop! Don't get the police in on this. I promise I will stop. Look, I am dropping the can of paint." He dropped it on the ground and backed up. "I will not spray paint the dog. Just don't call the cops. My uncle Sam will hang me if he found out that I did this!"_

_Mary Anne looked at Jennifer._

"_Should I let him go?" she asked._

"_As long as he has learned his lesson," Jennifer said._

"_Okay," said Mary Anne, with a forgiving smile on her face. "You can go now. But remember to treat all animals kindly."_

"_I will," said the boy, and he ran off._

_Mary Anne bent down to pet the dog. _

"_I love dogs," she said to the dog, "I wish I could have a dog like you where I live, but Jennifer's brother is allergic to dogs. Perhaps I should start working at the local animal shelter voluntarily."_

"_That would be a good idea," Jennifer said, "You seem to have a passion for animals."_

"_Yes," Mary Anne said, "I just love animals, especially dogs. You run along home now, little doggie."_

_The dog ran home._

_Jennifer looked at her watch; it was 2:30 in the afternoon._

"_Gadzooks!" she said, "I have to get to the pool. I am a lifeguard there from 3 – 7. Care to come with me, Mary Anne?"_

"_You know I can't swim, Jennifer," said Mary Anne. "Besides, I have something else to do. I will meet you back at your place this evening."_

"_You mean our place," Jennifer said, "You live there, too."_

"_Oh, right!" chimed Mary Anne._

_The girls went their separate ways, both arranging to meet back home that evening. Jennifer went to be a lifeguard at the pool. Mary Anne walked through the park and over to the cemetery, where her mother was buried. Her mother's grave read, "Helen Spencer 1941 – 1977" while her father's read "Maxwell Spencer 1940 – 1968. Mary Anne looked at the grave and started to cry. She had in her hand the letter that Jennifer's grandfather asked her to write to her mother and placed it in a tube next to her side of the gravestone._

"_Hello, Mother and Father," said Mary Anne, sadly, "Well, I graduated from High School. I know if you were alive today, you would be proud of me. I am so glad that I was able to come and see you and give you my letter." Unbeknownst to Mary Anne, Catherine came up behind her to comfort her. "I am glad to be living with Jennifer and her family, instead of having to run away," Mary Anne continued, "They are nice people." She noticed Catherine behind her and continued again. "Catherine, here, is treating me well, as if I were her own daughter. And Jennifer is being so kind to me as if she were my real sister. I also like Frank and Phillip, too. I miss you a lot and I wish you were here with me."_

_Catherine started to speak as Mary Anne cried. "Hello, Helen. Mary Anne did fine in school with Jennifer helping her out. Mary Anne has brought her cooking skills to us and makes some great pies. I wish you could be here to eat them with us. We miss you, too. You were like a sister to me, as well." She touched the grave and turned around to see Mary Anne with her face buried in her hands. Catherine went over to comfort Mary Anne._

"_Are you okay?" she asked._

"_I'm fine, Catherine," Mary Anne said, "I just feel alone in this world. It has been five years since my mother died and it still gets me. Now that your father is dead, I don't know who to turn to."_

"_Well, remember, Mary Anne, you have me and Frank and Phillip and Jennifer who will always be there for you. I will be like a mother to you."_

"_Thanks, Catherine," said Mary Anne, semi-smiling, "But you and Frank can't replace my real parents."_

"_Maybe not, but I know something they never knew."_

"_What's that?"_

"_Where to get some good ice cream," said Catherine, "Come on, we'll pick up Jennifer at the pool and go get some ice cream. Perhaps it will make you feel better."_

_Mary Anne smiled big. "Ice cream always makes me feel better. Thanks, Catherine. Are Frank and Phillip coming with us?"_

"_No," said Catherine, "We will just make it a girl's thing – the three of us." Catherine smiled back._

"_Come on, Mary Anne, Catherine said, "Let's go home. _

_The next day, Jennifer and Mary Anne again went for a walk. Mary Anne felt a lot better about things._

"_Want to go roller skating, Jennifer?" said Mary Anne._

"_I have to go to the pool again, today," said Jennifer, "But you can come with me and we can go after I am done. They even have a roller skating park in the back."_

"_Oh, right," said Mary Anne. "I guess I can go to the pool with you. I have never seen a swimming pool before." _

_Jennifer looked perplexed, "Never?"_

"_No," said Mary Anne, "I never went to one, and my family never owned one."_

_Jennifer couldn't believe it._

"_Well what are you going to do there?" Jennifer asked_

"_I think I will lie down on a chair and get a tan," said Mary Anne, who had her roller skates over her shoulder. "I don't have a bathing suit, though, but that's okay. I will lay there in my shirt and shorts."_

_The two girls went to the pool, where Mary Anne borrowed a lounge chair, put on some sun block, and lay on the lounge chair while Jennifer did her job as a lifeguard. Jennifer's brother Phillip was also there with his girlfriend. Phillip had applied to law school in the fall and decided to become a politician. He also gave up on being a prankster and a brat because he didn't want to get in trouble._

_Fifteen minutes after she and Jennifer arrived, Mary Anne put on her roller skates and went over to see Jennifer._

"_I think I am going to go to the park on my own, Jennifer," she said, "I am kind of bored here."_

"_Fine," said Jennifer, "Maybe Rachel Baines will be there. You can roller skate with her." Rachel Baines was a friend of theirs, their only black friend, who went to school and graduated with them. She had dated, and eventually married Robert Crawford, with whom she had a child named Richie. Mary Anne would roller skate with Rachel when Jennifer wasn't available._

_Just then, Clifford came into the pool area._

"_I heard you tried to get my brother Clayton in trouble!" he said to Mary Anne._

"_Clifford?" she said, "Is that you?"_

"_You bet it's me, kid!" Clifford said, "I want to know why you threatened to call the police on my brother."_

"_Is your brother the one who had the spray paint and tried to paint the dog?" asked Mary Anne._

"_Yeah he is," said Clifford._

"_He was about to break the law," said Mary Anne, "it is unlawful to paint a dog with toxic spray paint."_

"_You are going to go down, kid, I will make sure of that."_

"_Down?" asked Mary Anne._

"_Yes," said Clifford, sadistically, "Down into the pool!"_

_Right by the deep end, Clifford pushed Mary Anne, who rolled into the pool in her roller skates, and she screamed as she went down underwater._

"_Help! I can't swim!" Mary Anne shrieked. The minute Jennifer dove in, Mary Anne swallowed water and went under, thus blacking out._

_When Phillip saw what was going on, he immediately leapt into action and pushed Clifford up against the fence._

"_What did you do to my friend?" demanded Phillip._

"_I pushed her in to teach her a lesson," Clifford said._

_Jennifer surfaced with an unconscious Mary Anne and Phillip helped to get her out of the water._

"_You leave my sister and her best friend alone," said Phillip, "They didn't do anything to you. Your brother was in the wrong by what he did. Both of you should be committed!"_

"_You must know, Clifford," added Jennifer, "That Mary Anne blacks out when she is in deep water. She doesn't know how to swim."_

_Clifford felt bad about this and had a look of deep remorse on his face. "I am so sorry," he said, "I didn't know."_

"_Well it doesn't matter if you didn't know," barked Jennifer, "You shouldn't have done that in the first place! You are a bully to everyone and I'm having you thrown out of here! Security!"_

_The security came and took Clifford away. Mary Anne was revived._

"_What happened?" said Mary Anne, as she slowly sat up._

"_You were pushed underwater by Clifford," said Jennifer, "I dove in to get you and revived you."_

"_I need to get back home," Mary Anne said, "I feel a little weak."_

"_I'll take you home, Mary Anne," said Phillip._

_Phillip dismissed his girlfriend and she understood. He then drove Mary Anne home while Jennifer finished her shift at the pool._

_Later, Jennifer's boss came by._

"_What happened here, Jennifer?" he asked._

"_My friend Mary Anne was shoved into the pool by a bully," she said, "I had to revive her because she blacks out in deep water."_

"_I am tired of this horseplay around this pool when you are here!" roared the boss, "you are fired!"_

_Jennifer was taken aback and went home. She had no choice but to blame Clifford for it. When she went home, she noticed Clifford's uncle Sam Gorpley there, talking to her mother._

_Catherine said, "This is Sam Gorpley, from the Chicago Chronicle"_

"_Sam Gorpley," said Jennifer, "The newspaper guy. I don't want this stuff put in the newspaper."_

"_It won't be. I assure you. I apologize for the boys, Mrs. Lyons," said Sam, "Since my sister died, they have been raised by me. I can't handle kids. I have already disciplined Clifford and he won't be bothering you anymore."_

"_That's good," said Catherine._

"_Mother," said Jennifer, "Where is Mary Anne?"_

"_Upstairs in your bedroom," said Catherine._

_Jennifer raced upstairs and noticed Mary Anne lying on her bed._

"_I guess I ruined everything for you, didn't I, Jennifer?" Mary Anne asked._

"_No you didn't," said Jennifer, "It wasn't your fault that Clifford pushed you into the pool. I did, however, get fired because of him."_

"_Fired?" said Mary Anne in surprise, "Oh no!"_

"_Don't worry," said Jennifer, "It was a dead-end job, anyway. The important thing is that you are alive. We can find something together, you and me. We will have our own job and always work together."_

"_As long as the job doesn't involve me getting into the water," said Mary Anne._

_Both girls smiled._

_The next day, Jennifer and Mary Anne went roller skating, because they had lots of time for it. Besides that, Jennifer felt kind of bad for what happened to Mary Anne that she decided to do something that Mary Anne wanted to do. The two girls were happy to be with each other. While roller skating, Jennifer started feeling bad._

"_This is nice," said Mary Anne, "Roller-skating with my best friend."_

"_Yes, it is," said Jennifer, looking glum._

"_What's the matter?" Mary Anne asked._

_Jennifer said, "I just feel like what happened yesterday was my fault – your being pushed into the pool. I mean if I hadn't asked you to come, it wouldn't have happened."_

"_Don't worry about it, Jennifer," Mary Anne said, "I am fine. I could have decided not to come. It was my decision. Besides, how was I supposed to know that Clifford would be there?"_

"_You're right, Mary Anne," said Jennifer, "It's Clifford's fault, and I hope he gets what's coming to him because he deserves it."_

"_I want to thank you for saving me yesterday, Jennifer. If you hadn't been there, I may have drowned."_

"_That was my job as a lifeguard, to save lives," said Jennifer "I am just glad you came out of that alive."_

_As they went to the roller skating park, they came across Rachel Baines._

"_Hi, Rachel," said Jennifer._

"_Hi, Jennifer and Mary Anne," she said, "I heard about what happened to you, Mary Anne, are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine, Rachel," Mary Anne said, "Thanks for asking."_

"_So what's new?" said Jennifer, "We haven't heard from you in a while."_

"_I have something to tell you, that I can't tell my mother, or my older sister Harriet yet," said Rachel._

"_What is it?" said Mary Anne._

"_I'm getting engaged to Robert Crawford," said Rachel_

"_That's not too bad," said Jennifer, "What's the problem?"_

"_Robert is being shipped out in three weeks," Rachel said, "I have to marry him before then. I am only 18, I don't know if I can do this. We are going to England."_

"_You mean you're leaving Chicago?" said Mary Anne._

"_Of course she is, Mary Anne," said Jennifer, "England is over on the other side of the world."_

"_Oh, right!" chimed Mary Anne._

"_Well we wish you all the best, Rachel," said Jennifer, "and we will be sure to be at the wedding."_

_In 1983, both now 18, going on 19, Jennifer and Mary Anne decided to look in the newspaper. There was a job for them, one that would combine both of their dreams. Mary Anne was wearing her roller skates, but Jennifer wasn't._

"_Hey, Mary Anne," said Jennifer, "Look at this."_

"_What is it?" asked Mary Anne, roller-skating over to Jennifer._

_Jennifer said "It's an article about being a flight attendant."_

"_Flight Attendant?" Mary Anne said, "What knowledge do we have in that?"_

"_Don't you see?" said Jennifer, "We can combine both of our dreams by doing this. I will be able to fly around the world, as I wanted to, and you will be able to serve food, like you wanted to."_

"_Oh right," chimed Mary Anne._

"_They are having Flight Attendant Training School at the local college," said Jennifer, "Let's go attend it and then we can become stewardesses."_

"_Stewardesses?" said Mary Anne, "I thought you wanted to be a flight attendant."_

"_Stewardesses are flight attendants," said Jennifer._

"_Oh, right!" chimed Mary Anne again._

"_By the way, Jennifer," said Mary Anne, "You never told me who you would like to have as a dream boy."_

"_I don't know," said Jennifer, "I think I would like a nice short guy with curly hair who would work at a newspaper office, much like this one here. I think short guys are cute. I would like him to be funny and take me places."_

_Several months later, the girls, now looking more like their adult selves, took the flight attendant training school and became flight attendants. They immediately applied for a job with the airline. The first day, they were standing in the kitchen part of the airplane, just before take-off._

"_Isn't this great, Mary Anne," said Jennifer, "We are finally able to do our choice careers together. Talk about reaching a compromise."_

"_Yes," said Mary Anne, "but I still wish I could meet that foreign man that I wanted to meet."_

_Jennifer said, "Well there is always hope. Oh, just one thing, Mary Anne, before we start."_

"_What is it, Jennifer?" asked Mary Anne._

"_Why are you wearing your roller skates?"_

_Mary Anne said, "I thought I would start a new trend and call it 'The roller skating stewardess'."_

_It is dangerous to wear roller skates on an airplane," said Jennifer, "especially if you are serving food. You may roll down the aisle and get seriously injured and spill food on people."_

"_Oh, right!" said Mary Anne, "I better take them off, then." _

_So Mary Anne took off her roller skates and put on her work shoes. After that, the ladies got started on their first day of work._

"_There, that's better," said Jennifer, "Let's get started on our first day of work."_

"_Before we do, Jennifer, there is something I want you to know," said Mary Anne._

"_What is that?" asked Jennifer. _

_Mary Anne said, "I want to thank you for everything you and your family did for me, Jennifer. You took me in, you made me part of your family, and I didn't have to run away. You took a shy, 8-year-old girl and turned her into a career woman. You are my best friend and I am glad to have you in my life. Nobody else would have done for me what you did."_

"_I am glad I was able to help you out, Mary Anne," Jennifer said, "I know that my family feels the same way. We were always happy to have you with us." _

_Both ladies hugged._

"_We also got a job together," added Jennifer._

"_Yes, we did," said Mary Anne._

"_So let's cut all the chit chat," said Jennifer, "and get to work."_

_Both ladies started to work on a flight en route to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Just as the plane started to descend, Mary Anne looked out the window and saw a mysterious island. She nudged Jennifer._

"_Jennifer," she said, "Look out at that weird-looking island. That is the one like in my dreams."_

_Jennifer looked out the window at where Mary Anne was pointing. All she saw was water. She looked back at Mary Anne in disbelief._

"_I don't see an island, Mary Anne," Jennifer said, "That's all water."_

_Mary Anne said, "But I saw it. I really did!"_

_Jennifer started to look sternly at her friend._

"_Mary Anne, there are no islands out here. It's just water."_

_Mary Anne got a look on her face as if to say, "My best friend doesn't believe me." She looked out the window again._

"_But..." she said._

_The plane flew so close to the mysterious island that Mary Anne could see a young man in the fields, herding sheep. The young man looked up at the plane and waved. Mary Anne waved back. Jennifer came up behind her and said:_

"_Who are you waving at, Mary Anne?"_

_Mary Anne, realizing that Jennifer would probably not believe her, said, "oh, nobody." _

_Because this was part of Mary Anne's dream to visit a mysterious island, she decided to accept it as her own secret and leave it at that. She figured that one day in the future, her dream would come true and she would one day meet the foreign young man she always wanted to meet._

End of Flashback story

"And that is how Mary Anne got the greatest gift she ever received," said Jennifer, "And when Grandma Campbell died, I got these out of her attic and brought them to Mary Anne."

"So that was the story of Mary Anne's roller skates?" said Balki, "It is strange to think that a pair of roller skates could mean so much to someone and lead to a wonderful story."

Jennifer said, "Yes, and they were the greatest present Mary Anne ever received."

Mary Anne looked at her best friend with a look of awe. "Jennifer, I don't know what to say," she said, "These roller skates were my favourite toy when I was eight, and as I grew older, I got new pairs of roller skates; this was the first gift you ever gave me. I must say, though, that even though they were my favourite gift, they weren't the greatest gift I ever got on my birthday."

Jennifer looked at her friend in bewilderment. She had thought about the gas and time she wasted getting out there for Mary Anne. She also thought that Mary Anne was ungrateful for the roller skates.

"Mary Anne," Jennifer barked, "I drove three hours out there and three hours back just to get those roller skates for you. Now you are telling me that they aren't the greatest birthday gift you ever received?"

"No they weren't," said Mary Anne.

"Then what was?" asked Jennifer

Mary Anne stood up, holding her glass of wine in her hand, poised for a toast.

"Jennifer," she said, "only a best friend would go through the effort you did to get these here. The roller skates were never my greatest gift. The greatest gift I ever got on my birthday came in the form of a little girl who came to me and became my best friend, someone who I could rely on and who would be with me in my time of need and she was. You changed my life for the better and always taught me to be strong and reach my goals. Jennifer, you are the greatest birthday gift I ever got and will ever have. I love you like a sister, Jennifer, and I am glad you are my one true best friend."

Jennifer started shedding tears of joy. "I am so glad to hear that, Mary Anne."

Mary Anne made a toast. "To my best friend, Jennifer Elizabeth Lyons, the greatest birthday gift any girl can get."

Jennifer decided to continue the toast by raising her wine glass.

"To my best friend, Mary Anne Penelope Spencer, who is the best friend anybody anywhere can ever have."

Mary Anne said, "I think we should toast the boys, too."

"Good idea," said Jennifer, "To Larry Appleton...

"And to Balki Bartokamus," continued Mary Anne

Both said together: "Who changed our lives forever and who we will always love forever."

All four clinked their glasses and sat down.

"Cousin," said Balki, "I am just confused about one thing."

"What's that, Balki?" asked Larry.

"Well, Mary Anne said she fulfilled her dream by becoming a stewardess," Balki replied, "but she never said if she fulfilled her dream to meet the foreign man she dreamed of from a mystical farmland. Do you suppose she ever met him?"

Larry realized that Mary Anne was indeed talking about Balki. He looked at his cousin with a smile on his face.

"I am sure she did, Balki," he said.

"I hope to meet him someday, too," said Balki "He sounds like he might be nice. I also hope to meet that guy Jennifer wanted to meet. I hope he comes to work with us at the Chronicle.

Larry gave a small smile and patted his cousin on the shoulder. "I am sure he will come there someday, Balki."

The following weekend, Jennifer drove to the homestead with Mary Anne, where Mary Anne's old house was still standing next to Jennifer's old house. Mary Anne had the box of roller skates with her, intent to leave them at her old house.

"Well, the place has held up nicely in the past 13 years, hasn't it?" said Mary Anne.

"It sure has," said Jennifer, "are you sure you want to do this, though, Mary Anne?"

"Of course," Mary Anne said, "my mother deserves to have these roller skates. I want to keep the memories alive in case I ever decide to move back into this house in the future. I am going to leave these in my mother's old room. They meant so much to her because they were part of what helped me to get where I am today and that was very important to her."

"I am sure they did mean a lot to her, Mary Anne," Jennifer said, reaching into her bag, "I have something for you, Mary Anne that I think you deserve to have."

"What is it?" asked Mary Anne, "You didn't buy another rotten cucumber again, did you?"

"I was so flattered and moved by what you said about the fact that I was the greatest gift you ever received that my mother and I decided to give you this. Do you remember that picture that your mother took when we were 12?"

"Yes."

Jennifer said, "I had mine blown up."

"Jennifer, I destroyed mine by ripping it apart," Mary Anne said, "You didn't have to destroy yours by blowing it up."

"No," Jennifer said, smiling, "I mean I had the photo blown up and put on this plaque."

Mary Anne received a plaque from Jennifer reading "Jennifer and Mary Anne: Sisters Forever". She looked at Jennifer and smiled back.

"This is nice, Jennifer," said Mary Anne, "But now that we are sisters forever, that means we can't be best friends anymore."

Jennifer said, "Mary Anne, being sisters is better than being best friends. We are more like family now, since we have been part of each others' lives for so long."

"Oh, right," said Mary Anne.

Both ladies looked at each other and smiled. They knew that their long-time friendship had lead to far more than just that. Mary Anne was now a surrogate sister to Jennifer and both liked it that way. They both wondered what each other's life would be like if one were not there for the other. As we leave this story, Jennifer and Mary Anne got into Jennifer's car and drove home.

THE END


End file.
